Nursing practice covers a broad continuum from health promotion, to disease prevention, to coordination of care, to cure—when possible—and to palliative care when cure is not possible. While this continuum of practice is well matched to the needs of the American population, the nursing profession has its challenges. It is not as diverse as it needs to be—with respect to race, ethnicity, gender, and age—to provide culturally relevant care to all populations. Many members of the profession require more education and preparation to adopt new roles quickly in response to rapidly changing health care settings and an evolving health care system. Restrictions on scope of practice, policy- and reimbursement-related limitations, and professional tensions have undermined the nursing profession’s ability to provide and improve both general and advanced care. Producing a health care system that delivers the right care—quality care that is patient centered, accessible, evidence based, and sustainable—at the right time will require transforming the work environment, scope of practice, education, and numbers of America’s nurses.

KEY MESSAGES

As a result of its deliberations, the committee formulated four key messages that structure the discussion and recommendations presented in this report:

Nurses should practice to the full extent of their education and training.

Nurses should achieve higher levels of education and training through an improved education system that promotes seamless academic progression.

Nurses should be full partners, with physicians and other health professionals, in redesigning health care in the United States.

The recommendations offered in this report focus on the critical intersection between the health needs of diverse populations across the lifespan and the actions of the nursing workforce. They are intended to support efforts to improve the health of the U.S. population through the contributions nurses can make to the delivery of care. But they are not necessarily about achieving what is most comfortable, convenient, or easy for the nursing profession.

Key Message #1:Nurses Should Practice to the Full Extentof Their Education and Training (Chapter 3)

Nurses have great potential to lead innovative strategies to improve the health care system. However, a variety of historical, regulatory, and policy bar-

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